Filenews 17 December 2020
A cemetery with dozens of tombs dating from the 12th century BC to the Roman period was found in the area of Petraki Kyprianou Street in Larnaca where the pumping station called S9 is being run.
As stated by the Director of the Larnaca Sewerage Council Angelos Hatzicharalambous "on Petraki Kyprianou Street, an important flood defence project is being carried out for the city, for the SAL and the Municipality of Larnaca, i.e. the S9 pumping station with a related network. Essentially on Petraki Kyprianou Street there is still about 170 meters of pipeline left, but during the work a cemetery consisting of ten graves has been uncovered".
He added that "the revelation of the cemetery pleases both the SAL and the Municipality of Larnaca because it is a very ancient find that dates back to the 12th century BC. However, this revelation essentially delays the progress of the project, a project that is very important for Larnaca."
In response to a question on this matter, Mr. Hatzicharalambous said that "the archaeological findings are managed exclusively by the Department of Antiquities". "From the location of the cemetery the installation of a pipeline for the flood defence project amounts to only five meters a week of pipeline" he said and noted that "if the cemetery is extended along the entire length of Petraki Kyprianou Street, then the project is expected to be very long overdue".
In another question, the Director of the SAL replied that "the delay in the completion of the flood control project from the location of the cemetery, entails an increase in costs and financial costs in the execution of the project but also a delay in the delivery time".
"The delay in the implementation of the project is important for the SAL and the Municipality of Larnaca since it is a project that will solve the many serious problems facing the region with rainwater and heavy rainfall observed in Cyprus in recent years," he added.
He explained that "this pipeline serves the area of Metropolis and Prodromos, which are very sensitive areas with multiple and timeless problems in terms of rainfall".
In addition, Polina Christofi, Archaeological Officer at the Department of Antiquities, said that "during the work of the Larnaca Water Supply Council for the execution of a Larnaca water supply network in 2019, a number of archaeological findings have been identified. Petraki Kyprianou Street is located at the core of the necropolises of ancient Kiti".
He added that in this particular street but also in the streets that are vertical in Petraki Kyprianou, a total of more than 60 tombs dating from the 12th century BC to the Roman period have been identified".
Mrs. Christofi made particular reference to "the earliest tombs of the 12th century, with those of geometric times due to their rarity compared to those of later periods as in the Hellenistic cemetery located on the same road that is coming to light at the moment". "These are carved tombs in the natural rock of the area, rectangular floor plan," he said.
Source: eyenews/CYPE
